Modern data storage systems use servopositioning (or, “servo”) systems to guide their recording and playback components with respect to a recording medium, and thus enable high track density, which increases data storage capacity. Errors in the ability to follow the servopositioning signals on the medium can cause unacceptable reductions in storage capacity, recording/playback rates, and other parameters that are important to consumers (and thus to system manufacturers). For example, magnetic tape drives such as the IBM model 3570 and drives known under the names “Ultrium” and “Accelis” as described by the Linear Tape Open consortium use timing based servopositioning systems to accomplish these objectives.